Hi,
This is Jessica of The Lotus Pond.
Welcome to your moment of intentional pause.
March is dedicated to women.
Not only is it Women's History Month in the U.
S.
,
U.
K.
,
And Australia,
March 8th is also globally celebrated as International Women's Day.
As former U.
S.
President Obama once said,
This month is when we pay tribute to the ordinary women throughout the world.
Rooted in women's centuries old struggle to participate in society on an equal footing with men.
This day reminds us that while enormous progress has been made,
There is still work to be done before women achieve true parity.
While it's very important and helpful to know the political,
Cultural,
And societal history of women,
It's also a great opportunity to personally reflect on our own definition of womanhood.
For there are unlimited ways to be a woman.
For some,
Womanhood can mean strength.
For others,
It's gentleness.
Instead of allowing the world to define womanhood for us,
What does womanhood mean to you?
So I invite you to take a few moments to reflect on this question.
What does womanhood mean to me?
Or,
What does it mean to me to be a woman?
Let's begin today's meditation to honor ourselves and the women in our lives.
Please come into a comfortable sitting position.
Allow your feet to be planted on the floor.
Your spine tall yet relaxed.
Your eyes closed or with a soft gaze.
Breathing normally.
Watch as the air flows through your body.
The air comes in through your nose and out through your exhale.
Start by taking a few moments to listen to your body.
Listen and connect.
Is there anything that you could adjust?
Is there anything that you could soften to make yourself even more comfortable and relaxed?
Perhaps it's softening your chest,
Your belly,
Or your heart.
Allow yourself to completely surrender to gravity.
Surrender,
Connect with the feeling of being supported.
Supported by the chair or ground beneath you.
Feeling the energy of Mother Earth supporting and anchoring you.
Now bring your hands onto your body.
Let them naturally be placed where need be.
You might bring them to your chest,
To your heart,
Or somewhere else on your body.
Feel into this connection and let yourself be guided by it.
Feel into this connection and let your hands be a kind,
Soothing,
Healing support as we continue through this practice.
Continue to breathe and just allow yourself to feel that support and kindness coming from the touch of your own hands and wish yourself well.
Maybe at this moment in time it's difficult to wish yourself well.
It's okay.
Breathe and let go of any judgment and try the following.
Bring your attention to all the qualities you love about yourself.
Or think of someone who really loves you and sees all your goodness.
Maybe it's a partner,
A close friend,
A child,
Or even a pet.
Take this moment and connect with your own goodness.
Now take a moment and repeat the phrases of loving kindness and self-compassion.
You can try some of these phrases and see what resonates with you.
May I be happy just as I am.
My voice is valuable and my opinion matters.
I deserve all that is good.
I am worthy of love and attention.
Now repeat one word or phrase that resonates most strongly while remaining connected to your physical body.
Feel yourself soaking up these well wishes.
Allow them to hug every cell in your body with happiness and ease.
When you're overflowing with feelings of love and gratitude it's much easier to shift these feelings towards others even those who may be challenging in our lives.
So I invite you to bring into mind a woman in your life who makes it so easy for you to love her.
You can picture her coming into your mind's eye and just observe her for a moment.
And just noticing how you are feeling.
In her presence.
Now begin wishing her well.
Wishing her to be happy.
And wishing her to be at ease.
And whatever well wishes you like to send along.
And as you do so just notice how this feels within you.
What sensations are arising.
What sensations are arising in your body.
Even in your mind and heart.
Now let her go.
And bring to mind another woman figure whom you feel neutral about.
Perhaps it's someone in your life or at work.
Or someone you might not particularly know.
Someone you feel neutral about.
And just bring her into your mind's eye and again just observe her energy her expression and notice your own feelings in her presence.
Now wish for them to be happy and to be at ease.
And whatever well wishes you like to send along.
And just notice how that feels.
Now let her go.
And bring to your mind a difficult or challenging woman figure in your life.
Bring her to your mind's eye.
And just notice and observe her and your own self.
And you may bring your hands to your heart or your belly for support if you find it a bit challenging.
Stabilize the ground for support and gently breathing as your anchor.
And as you observe witness this person wish for her to also be well.
Wish her to be happy and wish her to be at ease.
Breathing and noticing how this feels.
Now let her go.
And lastly bring upon all the women in your life all the women in your community and neighborhood in your city expand it outwards to the country to the whole wide world.
Bring in all women.
And just take a moment right here right now to wish them all well happiness safety and ease.
You can slowly now let go of this loving kindness practice slowly gathering back your attention by focusing on your own breath again connecting to the in and out breath and just being.
And just notice how you feel at this very moment.
And this practice by gently reopening your eyes may you take this feeling of loving kindness and compassion with you as you go out into the world.
Thank you.
Feel free to expand on this meditation through journaling sharing with your community or reaching out to me personally.
Thank you.
